Tank has brown sstuff in it.

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I do weekly water changes and do them even sooner in the 10 gallon. I tested the water in the 10 last night and ...

I do weekly water changes and do them even sooner in the 10 gallon. I tested the water in the 10 last night and will test the 20 tonight. The 10 was Am 0, NI 0, NA 20 - and will be doing my regular water change tonight. I dont see why this should be causing any problems, unless i am missing something. I will be buying some moss balls soon if i cannot find any other cause (other than needing to cut the lights back). An 8 hr lighting period seems normal to me.

Boss balls are actually a form of algae if im not mistaken, they need to be rolled once in a while to stay ball shaped. Plants like java fern, java moss are easy to keep regardless of light and will assist in keeping nitrates low.

Yippee, following along SinCrisis theme, I think some plants would help. As I mentioned before, in a tank with no plants there is nothing to consume the nitrates except algae (and some bacteria), and while your readings are good (20ppm nitrate) algae is such an opportunist when food is so readily available and good light. You don't say how much light and over what size tank; it may be the light is too intense. You have to find the balance and then algae will not be a problem; it will always be there, its part of nature, but the aim is to have it within reasonable limits.

i have 15 watts over the 20 gallon and an old worn out 15 watt light over the 10 that desperately needs to be replaced. The 20 gallon is getting an algae build up worse than the 10. It's making my rocks look really bad and the rubber lip pleco won't touch the rocks. I'm about to break down and get snails and see if they do anything. I'm trying to hold off on the plants until i know i have everything to keep them successfully. I dont suppose java fern and moss will grow without root tabs, ferts, or other supplements?

i have 15 watts over the 20 gallon and an old worn out 15 watt light over the 10 that desperately needs to be replaced. The 20 gallon is getting an algae build up worse than the 10. It's making my rocks look really bad and the rubber lip pleco won't touch the rocks. I'm about to break down and get snails and see if they do anything. I'm trying to hold off on the plants until i know i have everything to keep them successfully. I dont suppose java fern and moss will grow without root tabs, ferts, or other supplements?

Yes, the algae is simply making use of the available light and nutrients. Your light will be fine with some plants to use it and the nutrients, and algae in my view will not be a pest. Yes, you will probably require some fertilizer [but see below], I would suggest liquid only in such small tanks, unless you want heavy-feeding rooted plants like swords, then some tabs or similar in the substrate can be beneficial but in my experience not essential. With most plants, a once-a-week dose of liquid fertilizer that is a comprehensive trace element fert is good enough. Seachem's Flourish Comprehensive Plant Supplement is what I'm using presently, and previously I had equal success with Kent Freshwater. Check out my aquarium photos to see what's possible with twice-weekly fertilizer, no CO2, and minimum light (1 watt per gallon).

Java fern will grow in almost any condition, low light and few nutrients. I had it growing like a weed in the water portion of a 20g that was half water and half land for my frog. It attaches to rocks and wood, no root system in the substrate. Java moss grows similarly, on wood and rocks, and it reproduces like crazy in my present tanks.

Snails eat algae, supposedly, but I have no experience as to just how much. I have Malaysian livebearers and pond snails in both tanks, and algae eating fish (ottos in the 90g and one farlowella in the 70g) and they together seem to be keeping the algae in check, but I suspect it's the fish that do most of it.

some snails prefer algae, others prefer rotting plants and fish food. trumpets will munch on algae, but i believe only nerites can be considered algae eaters, Otos will not eat algae off of rough surfaces, at least in my experience, they avoid my rougher surfaced rocks. However, also note that even in natural ecosystems algae exists, its difficult to stop it completly. One of my rocks is covered in green algae but I love it because i think it gives the aquarium a more natural feel.

Java fern grows slower than java moss, but java fern grows babies at a ridiculus rate. If you have one plant, it will make a bunch tha will eventualyl detatch and float around your tank. Java moss on the other hand i have seen take over entire tanks because they grow and grow and grow

Wish you were near me, you could almost load up a tub with bits of thriving plants I chuck out every couple of weeks! I've nowhere to put them and plants like floating fern, java moss and Brazilian Pennywort grow so rapidly.

If you have a regular fish store and happen to see some growing on wood in their tanks (very common, I've introduced it to my 90g from one piece of bogwood that was in a store tank) they might let you take a thread. It only takes one thread, it just multiplies.

Wish you were near me, you could almost load up a tub with bits of thriving plants I chuck out every couple of weeks! I've nowhere to put them and plants like floating fern, java moss and Brazilian Pennywort grow so rapidly.

If you have a regular fish store and happen to see some growing on wood in their tanks (very common, I've introduced it to my 90g from one piece of bogwood that was in a store tank) they might let you take a thread. It only takes one thread, it just multiplies.

Man, that makes me sad. Sounds like such a good deal. I've seen pictures and your plants look very healthy. That's one of the reasons i hate to buy online, you don't know what you're really getting in terms of quality and condition. and none of my local places have any. Would you ship some spare java fern and moss? Of course, me pay shipping